Nothing Apart
by Atsureki
Summary: GourryLina. Gourry leaves Lina and she wants him back, but can she admit to her feelings? And is Gourry really the same as he used to?
1. Separation

I don't own these characters and I make no money what so ever and I don't have any to take so please don't sue me *puppy-dog eyes*

Warnings: Well angs, sadness and stuff like that. Watch out for Xellos' who is way OOC

NOTHING APART

1 - Separation

She stopped in the middle of the road and looked around. Had the world changed? Were the trees as green, the sun as warm and the sky as blue as it used to be? She sighed deeply and nodded to herself. Yes it all looked the same, it just didn't feel the same anymore. In silence she sat down in the grass beside the road and rested her chin against her knees. Why hadn't she done anything? Why hadn't she tried to explain how she really felt? The tears began to run down her cheeks again. Crying she sat alone in the dusty grass and felt the longing eating away inside of her. This wasn't like her at all, she used to be so strong and never used to need anybody. But somewhere inside of her a whisper told her that that wasn't true, that that was just an act she put up for everyone. No, the truth was that all she ever was and ever had been was stubborn and too proud for her own good. And stubbornness and pride didn't make any good companions. She hid her face in her hands and sighed. Maybe that was true, maybe she was nothing but a proud, pigheaded child. She felt so helpless and weak and it scared her, and it made her angry.  
"I can't sit around here all day feeling sorry for myself", she growled and dried off her tears. "There are still bandits to punish and treasures to find!" She got up and started walking again. She could already see the next town. An hour later she walked passed the first houses and just as the sun began to sink behind the mountains she opened the door to her room for the night. She was so tired, so exhausted from feeling so much that she barely managed to get herself undress before she crashed down on the bed. Moments later she was fast asleep. 

__

"I'm pretty much useless without my sword Lina," the tall blonde man said to her.   
"Why do you say that?" she asked with a nail of panic scratching at her heart.   
"You said so yourself." She stared at him searching through her memories but when she found what she was looking for it just made her sad. She had indeed once told him that he was pretty much useless without his Sword of Light.   
"I know I did Gourry, but I didn't mean all the time. I just meant in that specific situation." She wanted him to understand so badly but in his eyes she could see some sort of shadow that hadn't been there before. And that shadow was like a wall between them.   
"But it was true," Gourry nodded and looked at her with his blue eyes. "I can't do anything as your protector without my sword, and we both know I'll never get it back." Lina looked at him feeling so lost, but somehow she didn't know what to say. She had thought he would be around forever and now he was telling her that he wasn't.   
"So I'm leaving, I'm going back to wandring the roads as a mercenary," he said and turned away from her. Lina stared at his back just wanting to pull him back and tell him that she never wanted him to leave, ever. But the words refused to come out just as her body refused to move. And she could see that Gourry took the silence just like anyone would have. He took it like she didn't really care.   
"Now?" was the only thing she managed to say.  
"Yes, now," he answered.  
"O-okay." That word seemed to put a heavy weight on Gourry's shoulders. From behind he looked like a defeated old man with his head lowered and shoulders pulled forward.  
"Good-bye Lina," he sighed and walked out of her room without turning around. Lina sat on the bed staring at the closed door. What had she done?!

Lina opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was just a dream, she calmed herself. Gourry hadn't left he was asleep in the next room.  
" I better go check on him," she whispered to herself, "who knows where he fell asleep this time." She put her feet on the floor and walked over to the door. Just as she opened it reality caught up with her. It hit her like a ton of bricks. It wasn't a dream it was memories. There was no Gourry asleep in the next room. She actually had no idea where he was or what he was doing. Shivering Lina returned to bed and curled up under the covers. How much time had passed since he had left her? She didn't know, she couldn't remember. Slowly she started to backtrack the days that had passed. Her mind worked slow and some days she hardly remembered at all.   
"Almost two weeks," she said out loud after a while. "I've been walking around without a clue for almost two weeks?" How could this be? Why hadn't she just went after him? She knew the answer to the last question. Because she had too much pride. That stupid pride wouldn't allow her to beg, it never had. But begging was exactly what she should have been doing. 

The next morning Lina started walking again but instead of moving further away from Gourry she went back the same road she had come from. She had to see for herself if he really wanted to live his life without her, even if it meant bruising that silly pride. The pace was now alot quicker than it had been before. All she could think of was catching up with Gourry. Lina knew that she'd fallen behind and that Gourry was moving further and further away with each minute. But instead of letting this get to her she just pushed herself harder. Half the day had passed when she finally slowed down. For a while she had had a feeling that someone was following her but now that feeling grew stronger. So as she made her way around a bent she moved into the woods as silence as she could. She peeked out from behind a tree to get a look at whoever it was that was following her. Her eyes narrowed when she saw someone slowly making their way pass her. Lina couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman 'cause the person's head was covered by a hood and a cloak covered up the body's shape. Actually it looked pretty funny. The cloak was ugly as sin with its purple and green stripes and it didn't seem to fit the person at all.   
"That's so strange. I could have sworn I was right behind her," the character growled and studied the road closer. Lina moaned and banged her forehead against the tree. Oh yeah she knew that voice. She knew it way too well. With a look of torment she snuck up behind the hooded person.   
"And why are you following me?" she asked and smacked the character over the head.   
"Ouch! Lina-san how rude!" Lina found herself being stared at by a pair of violet eyes.   
"Well Xellos' you'll have to excuse me but everybody wasn't raised as well as you," she snorted at the Trickster Priest.   
"My, my, aren't we kranky today," he smiled at her and threw back his hood.   
"Oh bite me," she snapped at him. "What's with the masquerade-costume?" Xellos' watched her with one eye closed and then scratched his head.   
"Well that's why I was following you," he answered slowly. Lina stared at him and pouted as she thought this through.   
"Oh I see," she answered after a while, "you want me to go to a masquerade with you." Lina laughed at her joke and then got serious again. "Well what ever it is you want with me I don't have time so scram," she said and walked passed him.   
"No, no you don't understand Lina-san," Xellos' yelled and ran after her. She stopped and glared at him.   
"What!?" Xellos' looked around as if he was making sure no one was watching them.   
"Okay I'll explain," the Priest sighed and pulled her off the road.   
"Good and make it snappy I have a long way to travel." He watched her for a second and sighed again.  
"Lina-san I'm being…" he started and scratched his head. "Oh my how shall I put this," he sighed and sat down in the grass. Lina watched him with a growing urge to smack him around.  
"I suggest you come up with a way of putting it pretty damn fast or you'll end up with a Fireball between yar eyes," she growled and raised her hands. Xellos' stared at her and quickly hid behind the nearest tree.   
"Lina-san," he complained, "why do you always have to get physical?"   
"It gets things done faster," she answered with a shrug.   
"Well it is not polite to throw Fireballs at helpless people," he whined from behind the tree. Lina laughed.   
"Maybe, but then you're not helpless, are you?" she answered and walked closer to him.   
"I am too," he sighed and pouted. She stopped and stared at him.   
"Excuse me but if my memory serves me correctly you're Xellos' a very very powerfull Mazoku, Beastmaster-sama's General Priest and you were given powers like no one else. You're also refered to as the Trickster Priest, the Mysterious Priest, the Roguish Priest. You serve under Xelas Metallium, also known as Beastmaster-sama and about a 1000 years ago you destroyed a whole dragonclan with a wave of your hand," she yelled at him and stomped her feet. Xellos' started sweating and looked very uncomfortble.   
"Please Lina-san I didn't destroy them all," he moaned, "I really don't need to hear this." Lina stared at him.   
"Huh?"   
"Well," he started and gave her a silly smile, "I can't give you any details but…"  
"But?" she asked inpatienctly tapping her foot. Xellos' turned away from her looking like he was about to tell her something that he was ashamed of.   
"Hm let's just say, hypotheticly, that I said something that Beastmaster-sama didn't hm exactly agree with," Xellos' almost whispered. Lina stared at his back.   
"O-okay," she stuttered.   
"And let's say that, hypotheticly, she decided to punish me… a little."   
"A little," Lina echoed with confusion  
"Yes, a little." Xellos' cleared his throat and faced her again. "I seemed to have gotten a little too confident lately. And I mean who can blame me? I did defeat Darkstar all by myself," he continued, adressing himself rather than Lina. At the same second as the last words were spoken Xellos' realized that he really shouldn't have said that last part, but it was too late.   
"You did what?!" Lina roared and burried her fist in the Priest's head. "I'll show you defeat!!" Xellos' couldn't do anything but beg for mercy as he ran down the road with a furious Lina chasing after him. 

Lina looked at the Roguish Priest that sat beside her pressing a cold and wet rag to his sore head. She was starting to think that she might have overreacted a little. But then again he had boasted way too much. Well maybe that last Fireball had been a little too much.   
"Lina-san I've desided that you're not a very nice person," Xellos' moaned and put the rag over his blackening eye.   
"Stop complaining," she muttered, "I could have Dragon Slaved your ass. Be thankfull for what you didn't get instead of whimpering about what you did get." She knew that sounded harsher than she really meant it to.   
"I thought I was your friend," he complained. Lina sighed and handed him one of two apples.   
"And just when did you become my friend?" she asked and sank her teeth into the other apple. "Was it when you had me running around all over the place searching for the Claire Bible or when you switched my racket when we played that silly ballgame or maybe when you tricked me into doing Hellmaster's dirtywork. No, no it had to be when you promised Valgaav you'd kill me if he just signed up with the Mazoku. No that can't be it," she went on, "it had to be when you wacked me over the head and stole that Darkstar-weapon from me, that's it isn't it?" she finished off and stared at Xellos' who by now squirmed beside her.   
"I did not trick you into doing Hellmaster's work… And I mean I never would have… And, and, and you shouldn't talk you jumped on my head," Xellos' said in defence.   
"Just answer one question honestly Xellos'." Lina frowned and looked at him.   
"If I'm allowed I will," he nodded.   
"If Valgaav had agreed that time, you would have killed me with your bare hands wouldn't you?" she asked after looking away. Xellos' sighed and pulled his cloak around him wishing he could just disappear as he used to do when things got awkward. But he couldn't do that, not anymore.   
"I suppose I do owe you an honest answer to that question," he answered after a while.   
"Yup you sure do."   
"The truth is that…" He paused and sighed. "Yes I would have killed you. My orders were to kill you if that would have brought Valgaav to our side." Lina nodded and leaned back in the grass.   
"Thanks for being honest," she said as she closed her eyes. "Oh and Xellos'?"   
"Yes Lina-san."   
"How did Beastmaster-sama punish you?" The Priest rolled his eyes.   
"She took away most of my powers," he growled. Lina laughed and looked at him.   
"Oh cheer up Xellos' it could have been worse. She could have forced you to spend a few months with Amelia."   
"That's not funny Lina-san," Xellos' moaned and shuddered at the thought. "Amelia-san would have killed me with her talk." Lina laughed again and streched in the warm sun.   
"Life is wonderful Xellos'." The Roguish Priest shuddered even more at those words.   
"Oh I almost forgot," he said after shaking off the life-is-wonderful-feeling, "where's Gourry-san? Never thought I'd see the day when you two weren't together." Xellos' turned to look at Lina as he spoke and tilted his head when he saw the effect those words had on the red-haired sorceress.   
"Well think again," Lina said with a harsh voice, got up and walked away. Xellos' watched her back and scratched his head.   
"My, my, seems like I found a sore spot," he said to himself. 

He looked down at the plate infront of him. The food didn't look like it used to. Nothing seemed to be like it used to.   
"What have you done Gourry?" he said quietly to himself. About two weeks ago he had declared to Lina that he couldn't be her protector anymore. He had give up his sword to that Overworlder and could no longer defend her. And if he couldn't defend her he was a risk and of no use. So if this was the right thing to do how come it made him feel so terrible? How come he missed her so much? It wasn't like she was all that nice to him. Most of the time she didn't seem to care whether or not he was with her. She always yelled at him or hit him and several times she had said that she traveled with him just cause she couldn't get rid of him. But if he was completly honest with himself that wasn't the real reason he had left her at all. No, he hadn't left her because he felt he couldn't protect her. Gourry looked out the window. He had left her because something deep inside of him had told him that Lina didn't want him around anymore. And he just couldn't stand to stay around her if she didn't want him to, not now. When he left her he had been so sure that his presence made her unhappy and her life hard, so he'd done what he thought was the right thing. Gourry rested his head in his hands and thought about Lina. It was strange that although he usually forgot just about everything the second he took his eyes of it he still remembered everything about her. It had been two weeks since he'd seen her and yet he could still remember that special smell that she had, the way her eyes looked when she smiled and how every inch of her body looked. And he could defently remember how good he felt when she was around. All of the sudden he wasn't sure it had been such a good idea to leave her after all, but it was too late now. 

By: Atsureki


	2. Defeat

For the stuff that goes up here check first chapter please *S*

NOTHING APART

2 - Defeat

The next morning Gourry left the Inn early, but as he started walking down the road he had the strangest feeling he was going in the wrong direction. He stopped and with a confused look he stared at the road infront of him and the road behind him.  
"Hm, now just from which direction did I come?" he asked himself and frowned. Gourry knew that he didn't recognized the houses further down the street which suggested that he'd come from the other direction and yet his intuition told him to go the other way. Now he may be dumb but usually he could at least remember which way he was headed. But it was that gut-feeling that made the blonde man turn around and walk up the road instead of down. The further he got the more sure he was that this was the right way. Maybe there was something important waiting for him out there. Soon he had left the city behind him and was surrounded by trees. Gourry walked briskly with his hands behind his head, lost in thoughts. But when the sound of people moving through the woods toward the road reached him he reacted at once. With one hand on his sword he watched the edge of the woods. Moments later he found himself in a wide circle of men with their swords drawn. They looked like run-downed mercenaries.  
"Don't be stupid," one of them said when Gourry drew his own sword. "There's seven of us and only one of you." Gourry grinned and faced the man.  
"Yes I'll admit it isn't really fair but if there aren't any more of you I can't really level the odds, can I?" Gourry answered still grining. This remark made the men nervous.  
"You sure seem to be quite full of yourself but I assure you that I, Fix, will mend that pretty soon," the man answered and then got pulled aside by one of his companions. Gourry stared at him without really grasping what that sentence meant.  
"Your name's Fix?" the blonde swordsman finally had to ask.  
"No it's Mend," he answered with an embarressed look. "Never you mind what my name is, you won't be talking long enough to use it anyways!" Gourry raised an eyebrow and grinned again.   
"We'll see about that." With caution he approached Mend with his sword in both hands. When Mend struck he struck hard. Gourry was deaf to everything except the one he fought with and the six other men that surrounded them. Because of that he had no trouble avoiding the first attack to his left side. It was nothing odd that Gourry used careless comments to undermine his opponents selfasteem when he was outnumbred. But he soon realized that this fight would be hard to win. All seven of these men were good swordfighters and as they took turns on attacking him, letting each other rest, he only had himself to rely on and he was getting tired. Soon sweat was running down his face and his blonde hair was glued to his forehead. Since Gourry didn't have any choice he had to start backing up, he couldn't hold them off anymore. What he needed was a chance to run, even if that ment taking the easy way out. But they were on him constantly, he didn't have an opening anywhere. Mend was the first one of them to get a direct hit on Gourry. That hit left him with one shoulder slashed and with blood on the handle of his sword. He knew that this wasn't going to go well for him, he could only use one hand and that hand was slipping on the sword's handle.   
"Ready to give up yet?" Mend purred at him as his men moved closer and closer.   
"Not just yet," Gourry answered panting for air. "I don't know what you want but I won't give up that easy." Mend laughed and struck Gourry's sword hard with his own. Gourry meet the struck but the hit sent shivers up his arm and pained his tired muscels.   
"Oh did I forget to tell you? All we want is all you have," Mend grined at him. The tall blonde man stared at Mend.   
"You're thieves?"   
"You sound like it isn't an honest living. Maybe it isn't but it sure pays alot better than being a mercenary," Mend laughed and crashed his sword down on Gourry's again. "I think this has gone on long enough, lets finish him off before we contract any unwanted attention. And boys no swords against a wounded, helpless man." All seven of them sheathed their swords. That made Gourry furious. With his last strength he charged Mend. He didn't get far before the six other men had jumped him and struck him down to the ground. 

It had been two days since Lina got the company of Xellos' and even though she wasn't comfortable with him around it was better than nothing. And right now she probably could use his help.   
"Hey Xellos' just what sort of powers do you still got left?" she asked him as they were walking along the dusty road. Xellos' looked at her with one eye.   
"Sore wa . . ."   
"If you so much as breathe "himitsu" your future life will be very, very short!" Lina cut him off. The Priest swallowed and broke a sweat.   
"I, hmm, really don't know," he sighed.   
"Well I suggest you find out 'cause it looks like my powers will be gone for a few days," she said and turned her back at him. Xellos' watched her for a moment.   
"Gone, what do you mean gone?" Lina forced out a bothered laugh and blushed.   
"Oh it's," she gestured in his direction and blushed even more, "you know?"   
"No I …" he started saying but stopped himself. "Oh I see it's, hmm that time of the month," he nodded and actually blushed a little himself. Lina rolled her eyes.   
"Figures a Mazoku would know about that!" Xellos' gave her a hurt look.   
"Lina-san could you stop sounding like I'm some sort of living plauge?" he pleaded.   
"We'll see," she answered not very convincing. "Now can you try to find out what powers you might have left?" The Trickster Priest growled a little and took a few steps away from Lina.   
"I feel lost without my rod," he whined and closed both his eyes. Lina watched the road infront of him to which he was pointing. Suddenly the air just over the road started to vibrate.   
"Looks like you have some. . ." Lina never finished the sentence when she saw what the result of the Priests effords was. Infront of his feet a small black cone appeared, blinked once and was gone again. She moaned inside and sighed.   
"Oh my," Xellos' commented when he realized what had happened, "guess I'm not of much use Lina-san." Lina rolled her eyes.   
"Oh well if any bad guys show up you can always annoy them to death," she said and started walking again.   
"Now you're being mean again," Xellos' complained and hurried after her.   
"If you don't like it you can always go bother someone else you know."   
"But, but, but. . ."   
"But, what?" she growled at him. "Why are you following me around Xellos'?" she asked and turned around to stare at him.   
"Well there aren't that many people to choose from," he answered with a frown. "For some reason you humans don't seem to like me alot." Lina raised an eyebrow.   
"Nah? How could that be possible? When you're such a sweet and sympathic guy." The Priest tried to smile and swallowed.   
"I think we can drop this subject now," he said and started walking. Lina moaned inside.   
"Why me?" she asked with rolling eyes and followed Xellos'. 

It was afternoon when Lina and Xellos' entered a small town. Lina was reluctant to stop so early but she realized that it probably was wise not to sleep outdoors when neither one of them had any powers to use. They had just had dinner and were making their way upstairs to go to bed when Lina suddently felt a sharp pain in her guts, it multiplyed through her body and hit her head like a piano. With a painfull moan Lina dropped to her knees in the middle of the stairs.   
"No!" she cried out and fell backwards down the stairs. Xellos' turned around and even though he moved as fast as he could he didn't manage to catch her. With a worried look he ran down the stairs after her.   
"Lina-san," he whispered to her as he gently lifted her up from the floor. He was worried, and that was a very strange feeling for him to feel about someone else. She didn't answer or move, she just hung there in his arms. The helpless feeling of not being able to do anything choked the Roguish Priest. For a moment he wondered why he felt like this. Why hadn't he felt any joy from the fear in her scream? What had Beastmaster-sama done to him? Xellos' shook his head and concentrated on the red-haired girl in his arms. He didn't know what had happened to her. Was she sick or had she been attacked by some spell? No it didn't seem very likely that someone would go after her like this. Which only left the possiblity that she was sick. But she had seemed okay when they had dinner.   
"Lina-san?" he tried again and shook her gently. With fluttering eyelids Lina opened her eyes and looked at him.   
"Xellos', what happened?"   
"I don't know, Lina-san. You fell down the stairs after you screamed. Are you okay?" he asked with a concerned look.   
"I think so," she answered slowly, "my back hurts and my head too." Xellos' carefully put her down but held her in a firm grip as she tried to stand up.   
"Thank you," she said as her knees folded underneath her weight.   
"It's okay I'll carry you upstairs." Without waiting for her to say anything he picked her up and started climbing the stairs. With a worried look on her face Lina clinged on to him. 

Everything was black. The blackness that kept him from seeing anything scared him. He didn't know where he was and he couldn't get up. His entire body hurt. The pain in his head made him feel nauseas. Where was he? The next question scared him even more than the blackness. Who was he? He couldn't remember. He remembered that he had fought and that he had lost but that was all. The pain in his head seemed to punish him for thinking and drove lightnings of pain through his body. He moaned and closed his eyes. Maybe he was dead? No, death shouldn't hurt like this, should it? Slowly he rolled over onto his stomach and started crawling thowards a sound of purling water. When he reached the brook he dipped his head in the cool water. It relieved the headache a little and his thoughts became clearer. He could feel the sun warming his back. But if the sun was shining why couldn't he see anything? Because you're blind, a vioce inside of him said. If he was blind and couldn't walk he was completely helpless. Tears started falling from his unseeing blue eyes.   
"Help me," he cried out. No one answered. The only sounds he could hear were birds singing, the purling from the brook and the wind in the trees. The headache came back and he carefully touched his head. His hair was covered in something sticky that had started to dry. Blood, he thought to himself. Again he put his head underneath the water and carefully rinsed out as much of the blood as he could. His left shoulder hurt like hell. With closed eyes he started feeling his body. His left shoulder and arm was also covered in blood and his shirt was torn. He had nothing on him except his clothes. A vague memory of armor came to him. Who had taken his armor of him? It had to be the same people who had hurt him.   
"Please help me," he cried out again. Just as before no one answered him. Panic started to rise in his body. If he didn't get help he'd die here. Shivering with fear he turned away from the brook and started crawling. If he just could find the road, there had to be a road nearby, he could get help. With his hands he felt the grass infront of him and after a while the grass turned to sand and stones. This has to be the road, he thought to himself. Carefully he lifted his chest off the ground with his right arm. It was so hard and it hurt so much, but he pushed his weight back onto his knees. With his face wet from sweat he rested standing on all four, or rather all three. Slowly he lifted up his right hand and put one foot on the ground. It was shaky but he managed to stand up. It felt like the whole world was spinning. Now he didn't know what to do. He couldn't go anywhere since he had no idea what the surroundings looked like but than he couldn't just stand there all day either. With tiny, shaky steps he started walking towards the sunlight. He found he had to keep his eyes closed because the sunlight hurt his eyes although he couldn't see anything but a small change in the blackness. But it was hard to walk with closed eyes. It didn't feel natural and his body wanted his eyes to be opened so he finally stopped walking and ripped off a piece of his shirt to tie over his eyes. He had been walking for a while when he stumbled over something. He was thankfull he didn't fall 'cause he knew that would have hurt his already tormented body. A sudden idea made him squat down and feel around to see if he could find what he had tripped over. After a while he found it and felt it over. It was a tall branch of wood, not too thick. He put one end of it in the ground and pulled himself up. Not too bad, he thought to himself, I've found myself a cane. With the cane in his right hand he started walking again. 

He didn't know how long he had been walking. The sun wasn't as warm anymore and the birds didn't sing as much. He stopped and tilted his head. Something was approaching him from behind. It sounded like a waggon of some sort. He stood very still since he had no idea of where he was on the road.   
"Do you mind moving a little my son?" He heard a voice say.   
"Not at all but I am blind and have no idea of where I am," he answered hoping this stranger would take pity on him. He could hear someone walking up to him.   
"It's a good hours walk to the next town. You are welcome to ride with me if you want to."   
"Yes, please," he nodded and felt someone grabbing his arm and gently leading him and then strong arms lifted him up and placed him in a pile of hay. He didn't know where he was headed and he didn't care, anywhere was better than that road. With closed eyes he let the waggon take him into the city. Somewhere along the way he fell asleep.   
"Son?" He could hear someone talking to him and gently shaking his leg.   
"Yes," he answered and sat up. The same strong arms that had helped him up now pulled him down.   
"We're here now," the voice said. "This is where…" The man sighed. "This is where people like you usually stay." He didn't understand what the man meant at first. The smell in the air was filled with the odour of rutting garbage and the street under his feet was covered with something he was glad he couldn't see. It dawned on him what the man meant. He was one of the beggers now. One of them who had nothing, who had to beg for food.   
"Thank you," he said to the man and carefully felt his way down the street with the help of his cane.   
"What a waste," the man sighed as he watched the tall blonde man leave. 

By: Atsureki


	3. Searching

For the stuff that goes up here check chapter 1 please *S*

NOTHING APART

3 - Searching

Xellos' sat watching Lina sleep. She'd acted strange after the incident at the Inn and he didn't know how to react to it. It was all so very confusing to him. He had been around for over 1000 years and never before had he been concerned with a human life. The only thing he could do was to just sit there and watch her. When she opened her eyes he sighed with relief.  
"Xellos'," she said and looked at the Priest.   
"Yes Lina-san?" Lina took a deep breath.   
"Something has happened to Gourry." Xellos' could hear the concern in her voice and thought to himself that Lina cared a lot more about her blonde companion than she showed and now she was seperated from him. The thought made him feel strange and he didn't understand why.   
"How do you know that?" he asked. Lina sat up and sighed.   
"I don't know I just have this very strong feeling that he needs me and that I have to hurry," she answered with a sad look on her face. The Roguish Priest nodded.   
"Lina-san I have to ask you something."   
"What's wrong?" she asked and saw the troubled look on his face.   
"When you fell down the stairs I was worried about you," he answered slowly. Lina thought in silence for a moment and then looked at Xellos'.   
"A Mazoku gets its powers from fear, anger and emotions like that right? And you don't feel like we do, humans I mean?"   
"That's right," he nodded.   
"Well if Beastmaster-sama took your powers away without sealing them or anything like that," Lina said with a frown.   
"She didn't seal them, no."   
"Think about it Xellos'," she said while looking him in the eyes. "What would be the easiest way for her to take your powers away without sealing them?" He thought about this a moment and then got a tormented look on his face.   
"To make me human," he whispered. Lina nodded.   
"Exactly! Didn't know she could do that though." Xellos' had become very pale.   
"She probably could," he moaned, "but how cruel is that?" Lina laughed.   
"My dear Xellos', this is Beastmaster-sama we're talking about."   
"Oh my, I see your point." This whole idea made him very uncomfortable and it also told him a few other things about the way he was feeling.   
"Why don't we just make a simple test to see if your human or Mazoku?" she declared and got of the bed.   
"A test?" Xellos' gave her a suspicious glare.   
"Just repeat after me," she said and grinned at him. "Life is wonderful!" He sighed deeply.  
"Okay, life is wonderful."   
"Living is marvellous!"   
"Living is, hmm, marvellous."   
"So do you feel anything?" she asked and looked at him.   
"Yes I don't like those frases very much," he whimpered. "But you're right I don't feel weaker or anything like that."   
"Well there you have it! Welcome to the human-race Xellos'," she smiled at him and stretched.   
"This isn't funny Lina-san," he complained. "This is way too complicated for me." Lina raised an eyebrow at him and tilted her head.   
"Maybe it's time you got to know how we are. Just keep a few things in mind."   
"Like what?" He was afraid to even ask.   
"Don't get hurt, cause you can't restore yourself and don't go saying or feeling anything stupid. You're enough trouble as it is!" she growled at him and left the room. Xellos' sighed and put his chin in his hands.   
"Might be too late for that last one, Lina-san," he said knowing that she couldn't hear him.

Lina walked not aware of much but her own thoughts. She could her Xellos' walking behind her but they hadn't talked for hours now. In her mind was only Gourry and the concern she felt for him. Something kept telling her where to go. It felt like a tiny string came from her heart and that string kept pulling her forward. Each time they came up to a crossroad the gentle pull gave her directions. Lina sighed and wished she knew where this hunch was leading her. She'd been following it for a week now and so far she had no idea how far it wanted her to go. All she knew was that she wouldn't give up until she had found Gourry.

The Trickster Priest looked at Lina's back as he followed her. What was happening to him? It was true that in the past he had actually protected her. Not that he wouldn't have killed her if he'd been ordered to do so, but he wouldn't have enjoyed it. Not like other Mazoku would have. And he had spent alot of time with her and her friends. Sometimes more time than his duties had called for. Then it was the fact that every time she meantioned Gourry he got this strange feeling inside. Like anger but not quite. Could it be? Xellos' frowned at his thoughts. Could it be he had feelings for this redhaired sorceress? 

He sat on the filthy street with his hand stretched out infront of him. Every now and than someone that passed him dropped him something, mostly food. He shoved it in his mouth without caring what it was. How long had he been here? Almost two weeks, he thought to himself. His memory had returned almost completely by now. But some things kept avoiding him. Carefully he shifted his weight and moaned when his body ached. His wounds hadn't healed at all. Instead he kept on getting worse and the rain that had fallen the last three days left him soaked. Gourry sighed. The hunger constantly ripped at his stomach and he was cold all the time. He knew that his wounds were infected and that that had caused him to run a high fever. But there was nothing he could do about that. A few days ago he had lost complete use in his left arm. It just hung there and any movemeant what so ever caused him severe pain. Due to the cough he had developt it wasn't easy to keep it from being moved. God he wanted Lina to be there. But at the same time he felt like he'd rather die than let her see him like this. And die, he thought to himself, is exactly what I going to do here. Shivering he pulled the old cloak, he'd found, tighter around him. Its hood kept the sun and rain away from his face but the cloak itself was too torn to provide any real warmth. The other beggers left the street during the night and found shelter, but he couldn't. He would never find his way back if he wandered off. Every sunset was a struggle. Along with the wounds from the fight he had several new ones. He was blind and therefor an easy target. Time and time again he had to find himself in being beaten and robbed of everything he managed to beg together during the day. So when the night came Gourry cuddled up the best he could and felt the rain soaking his cloak and shirt. All he could do was to wait for dawn and the sun to reappear again. 

He woke up when someone kicked him in the back. With a moan he sat up.   
"Get away from here you piece of filth," he heard a female voice scream at him and again he felt a kick. Shuddering from cold and fever he staggered a little further down the street and sank down against the wall. The sun was up again and he could hear the other beggers around him. Gourry realized he had felt no pain in his shoulder from the kicks so he gently pressed his right hand over his wounded shoulder. Nothing. He had lost all feeling in his left arm and shoulder. Perhaps he would soon be relieved from all this pain and suffer. His skin was pounding with fever and he couldn't stop shaking.   
"I can see how this is going to end," he whispered to himself. 

Unsure of where to go next Lina stood at the gates to a medium sized town. The gentle pull she had felt for over two weeks was gone. Maybe Gourry's here, she thought to herself.  
"What's wrong Lina-san?" Xellos' asked and put a hand on her shoulder.   
"I don't know where to go from here," she answered and frowned. "Lets just get a room and I'll check out the town." Xellos' nodded at her and walked ahead towards an Inn. It's strange, Lina thought, how silence Xellos' had become. He didn't tease her, infact he didn't say much at all anymore. She shook her head. No time to worry about that now. Still frowning she followed him towards the Inn. 

She had been searching the town for hours now and still no sign of Gourry. If people had seen him they should remember, she thought to herself. Lina decided to try one more time before giving up. She stopped the first person she meet. It was a Priest dressed in a long white robe carrying a rod very much like the one Rezo had had.   
"Excuse me Priest? I'm looking for a friend of mine, can you help me, please?" she asked.  
"If I can," the Priest answered slowly and bobbed his head. "What does she look like?"  
"He," she corrected him. "Tall, long blonde hair, blue eyes, blue shirt and trousers." The Priest thought for a minute before answering.   
"I believe I have seen a man like that." Linas heart pounded harder.   
"When and where?" she asked holding herself back from shaking the slow-talking Priest.  
"Yesterday if I'm not mistaken," he answered. "It was down there," he continued and pointed further down the street. "Just take this street as far as you can and then turn left."   
"Thank you so much," she almost yelled and started running down the street. When she got to the end of it she found herself staring down a long, filthy street leading up to a temple of some sort. Both sides of the street was packed with beggers. Lina frowned and started walking pass them. It hurt her to see their skimpy bodies dressed in even skimpier clothes. Soon she realized why they were sitting there. From the temple a steady stream of people walked by. Most of them stopped and handed out food and coins. What had Gourry been doing here? She stopped and looked around. With her headed tilted she watched one of the beggers only a few feet away from her. He was taller than the others but she couldn't see his face for it was covered underneth a hood. Slowly Lina walked up beside him to get a better look. The begger kept his head low and didn't even look up when he was given food. Lina felt a lump in her stomach when a blonde lock of hair fell out from underneth the hood. Her fists cramped up as she slowly kneeled infront of him. Shivering with fear she pushed back the hood. Infront of her sat Gourry. She couldn't believe her own eyes so she gently put a shaking hand under his chin and lifted up his face.   
"Gourry," she whispered to him. His eyes were coverd with a piece of cloth and his face was pale and sweaty. 

By: Atsureki


	4. Matters Of The Heart

If you read the others you know *nods* Oh and don't forget to tell me what you think pwees?

NOTHING APART

4 - Matters of the heart

He could hear someone standing next to him but he didn't move. Suddenly his hood was pushed back and someone lifted his face up. He knew who it was. The person he couldn't see was surrounded by a scent he'd recognize anywhere.   
"Gourry," he heard her whisper.   
"Just turn around and walk away Lina," he told her. "Forget you ever saw me and walk away." He pushed her backwards and lowered his head again. His tears were being soaked up by the cloth covering his eyes.   
"I can't leave you here Gourry," she said with concern in her voice.   
"Yes you can and you will. Go away!" he yelled as loud as his hoarse voice allowed him. Inside of him his heart was breaking. He couldn't let her take care of him now. It would be wrong.   
"No!" she replied. "If you don't come with me I'll stay right here until you change your mind." Gourry felt her sitting down next to him and he knew that she was looking at him. He couldn't let her sit there in the filth.   
"Why can't you just leave?" he moaned. "Can't you just let me…"  
"No Gourry," she answered with tears in her voice. "I won't let you be and I won't leave. I just can't do that and you know that." Yes he knew. It wasn't her style to leave her friends in the gutter. 

Lina looked at the man who she cared for so deeply. He wanted her to go away, to leave him there. She cried in silence sitting there on the filthy street and promised herself that she would never leave him again, never ever. His face had felt like it was on fire. Gourry was sick, she knew that. She looked at him and saw him staggering to his feet. Quickly she got up and reached out her hands to help him.   
"Don't touch me," he growled at her. "I'm only going with you cause you give me no other choice." It was killing him to hurt her like this but he had to get her away from this place.  
"You can't walk that far," she slowly said puting her hand over his that was clinging to a cane.  
"I told you…" his words were lost when his knees refused to support his weight. Lina managed to steady him enough so that he didn't fall. I have to get him away from here, she thought to herself and put her arms around Gourry.   
"LEVITATION," she said out loud and felt herself and Gourry being lifted up into the air.

He could feel her arms around him and it felt so good. His right arm clinged on to her for dear life as they levitated over the roofs. He didn't know where she was taking him and he didn't care. It's too late Lina, he thought to himself, it's too late to save me. He just wished that he could have spared her all this. Suddenly he could feel solid ground under his feet again. Gourry had no choice but to lean on Lina as she lead him through a door and into a warm room. Carefully she led him pass talking people and the smell of food. His stomach screamed from hunger but he didn't say anything. After a while she stopped and he could hear her opening a door and then she led him in through the doorway and gently sat him down on a bed. Gourry could tell this was her room for it was filled with her scent.   
"What happened to you?" she asked and moved away from him. He could hear her pouring up water.   
"I lost a fight," Gourry answered flatly and felt her hands on him again. She was wiping his face with a wet towel and put a cup in his hands. He drank the water she'd brought him in silence. "I'll do what I can to heal you," she said as she took the cup from him and refilled it. "Just lie back." He let Lina help him lie down and felt her hands remove the piece of cloth that had been covering his eyes.   
"I'm blind," he whispered as she stroked him over the hair. 

Lina looked at Gourrys eyes. The kindness, trust and will to live was gone in them. She held back her tears as she saw what had replaced all that. It was fear, despair and hopelessness. Her hands were shaking as she started to take off his shirt. It was covered in blood and torn to shreds. Carefully she put her small hands over his left shoulder and began to heal him. She didn't know how well she could heal him but it was all she could do for now. As soon as she could she'd have to find a Shrine-maiden to do a better job but at the moment all she could do was to try to keep him from dying infront of her. His fever was so high and his body in such bad shape. It felt like it took her forever to fix all the wounds and bruises he had.   
"How does that feel?" she asked after a while. Gourry moved his limbs.   
"Better, thanks." Lina sighed sadly. Even his voice had change, not just cause he was hoarse but because he wasn't the same person as before. She wondered if he'd ever be his old self again.   
"If you have the strenght I'll help you take a bath," she said slowly. Gourry supposed he should be embarrassed or something but he didn't care anymore. He'd take as much time with her as he could, while he could.   
"Yes please," he nodded and sat up. Just as carefull as before she helped him up and led him into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water. She knew that she probably should have called in Xellos' to do this but she didn't want to leave Gourry. He stood infront of her in his pants when she gave him a towel to cover himself with. With trembling hands he wrapped the towel around his waist and removed the rest of his clothes. Gently Lina helped him sit down in the water and began washing the filth off him. She could feel how the warm water relaxed him. But his face was still tense and she could see the despair in his eyes.   
"Do you want to lie there?" she asked. Gourry closed his eyes.   
"Yeah I'll stay here a while," he said slowly.   
"I'll be outside if you need me," she nodded to him and left the bathroom. When she had closed the door she sat down on the floor with her back against it. The tears she had kept inside while she was with him started to run down her face. As much as it was tears of compassion it was tears of guilt. All the times she had been so mean to him and for what reason? Just to prove to herself that she didn't need him. She had wasted so much time and now Gourry was paying for it. He could have been dead when I found him, she thought to herself. If she'd been too late, she would never have forgiven herself. Lina shivered and hugged herself. Why had she hit him all those times? It wasn't his fault he never could pay attention nor that he wasn't all that clever. Most of the time he's not stupid, she thought to herself, he just choose to not understand what he doesn't think ia important. But it didn't matter now. Feeling sorry wouldn't erase all the hard words and hard punches. Still crying she got up and stood in the middle of the room shaking. 

Gourry sank deeper in the tub. He'd never thought he'd be warm ever again. With a frown he turned his head towards the door. What was that sound he could hear. Since his eyes didn't work he had learnt to rely more and more on his hearing. It was Lina and she was crying. He bit his lip and pressed his hands over his ears. It tore him aprt inside to hear her crying like that. Quietly he got up and out of the tub, felt around for a moment before he found the towels, wrapped one of them around himself and made his way to the door. He opened it without a sound and walked towards the sound of Lina crying. Her scent told him she was only a few feet away from him. So he reached out and felt his way to her. With both hands on her shoulders he pulled her closer to him. With a small scream she threw herself in his arms, clinging on to him. Gourry felt his own tears on his face and held her as hard as he could without hurting her.   
"I'm so sorry," she cried against his chest. "If I could I'd take it all back, every single thing." He didn't understand what she was refering to but slowly stroked her over her back.   
"It's not important Lina. Just calm down, please," he replied and ran his fingers through her hair.   
"No," she said, "it is important. I had no right to treat you the way I have been. That's why you left me isn't it?" she asked backing away from him. "And you think I don't care that you did, don't you?" Gourry lowered his head and wiped away his tears.   
"I left because I made you uncomfortble," he answered. "Ever since the incident with that Hellmaster-kid you been treating me different. Like you didn't want me around, so I left," he sighed and turned around.   
"Gourry why do you think I've stayed with you these four years?" He faced her again.  
"Cause you couldn't get rid of me, you've said so yourself." Lina closed her eyes and damned herself. Why did she always say things like that and why didn't she realize that she hurt him by doing so?   
"I know I've said that but I didn't mean it. I've stayed with you cause I can't stand being without you," she explained with a voice trembeling with tears. "After Phibrizzo kidnapt you I was afraid. Even if we got through that in one piece I got scared that someone else would try to use you to blackmail me. So I pushed you away instead," she finished and sat down on the bed.   
"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked with a sad tone in his voice. "Don't answer, it doesn't matter anymore," he added and again turned his back at her. He knew he had to stop this right away or it would be too hard for him to leave her.   
"Why doesn't it matter?"   
"Look at me Lina. I'm blind, weak and helpless," he answered quietly. "I'm never going to travel with you again. It's better this way I guess... Just leave me here and move on, there's nothing you can do for me now," he said and put more distance between them. Lina looked at him and didn't know what to say. He was telling her he wanted her to leave him behind. How could she do that? Why would she do that?   
"Why?" she whispered and walked up to him grabbing his arm. "Why are you asking me to leave? Doesn't all the time we've spent together mean anything to you?" She was angry now and her voice reflected it. Gourry closed his eyes and pushed the tears back. If he wasn't carefull Lina would get even more fixed on the idea of staying with him. And as much as he wanted to have her by his side he couldn't let that happen.   
"Because I don't want you here," he answered harshly. Gourry knew he had to get her away from him as fast as possible. This was too hard to do. He could hear her sulking behind him.  
"I don't know who you are!" Lina screamed at him. "I just know that you're not Gourry, not the Gourry I know." With those words she ran out the door. Carefully he made his way to the bed and sank down on it. His eyes were open and his lips pressed tightly together. For a while he just sat there staring infront of him althought he couldn't see anything. 

Xellos' had his ear pressed against the door. He didn't understand anything of what was going on in the other room. First Lina had been crying and Gourry had comforted her and now he was telling her he didn't want her around. The Priest frowned and closed his eyes. But Lina had told the blonde man she was sorry for everything she had done. Why hadn't he forgiven her? Human emotions are too difficult, he thought to himself. Suddenly he heard footsteps so he hurried away from the door. Just moments after the door flung open, Lina ran out. He could see she was crying as she ran through the corridor and down the stairs. For some reason it made him angry. And his anger was directed at the blonde swordsman. With a frown he marshed through the open door and stood before Gourry.   
"What do you think you're doing?" Xellos' asked him with anger. Gourry turned around to face him but didn't answer right away.   
"Xellos' is that you?" It hadn't occured to the Priest that Lina wouldn't have told the tall man that he was there.   
"Yes it's me," he answered. The tall blonde man seemed different from before.   
"And what do you want?" Gourry asked and sighed. Xellos' raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. He understood what Lina had meant when she'd said that she didn't know who this man was. The look in Gourrys eyes had changed and so had his voice. Infront of the Priest sat a man who had very little incommon with the Gourry Gabriev he had traveled with. This man wasn't cheerful, kind and dense, instead he seemed beaten, sad and filled with despair.   
"I wanna know what you're trying to do to Lina-san," Xellos' said after shaking away his thoughts. The blonde man lowered his head.   
"I'm trying to save her." That answer left the Roguish Priest puzzled.   
"Save her from what? All she have been thinking about these last weeks have been you. She's been pushing herself to the limits to find you and now you want her to leave you behind?" Xellos' frowned as his questions made Gourry lower his head more and more.   
"You know Lina, Xellos'. She'd do anything to help her friends and right now she wants to take care of me," Gourry answered. "And I can't let her do that…"   
"Why not? I don't understand," the violet eyed man sighed. Gourry got off the bed.   
"Look at me. I'm blind and I'm sick, too sick for Lina to heal me," he said as he felt his way across the room.   
"Ah and you can't stand the fact that she feels pity for you?"   
"It's not that," Gourry answered and shook his head. "Both you and I know how she much her friends mean to her. I'm dying, Xellos'. I can feel it," he continued with his eyes closed.   
"Nonsense! Lina-san would never let you die on her like that," the Priest objected.   
"Exactly! And when I die even though she tried her best to save me she'll be devastated. I will do anything to keep that from happening," Gourry said and faced Xellos' with tears in his eyes.   
"But you're making her devastated right now!" the Priest yelled.   
"She'll get over it. It's easier to lose someone you hate than someone you like."   
"Oh my, you really are stupid, aren't you?" Xellos' muttered to Gourry. "Do you seriously think that Lina-san will hate you?"   
"I don't know. I only know that I love her too much to let her stay around me and watch me die."   
"Oh dear," Xellos' sighed and sat down on the bed. "Gourry, don't you know that she loves you too?" The tall man turned around with a confused look in his face.   
"What are you talking about?" The Trickster Priest rolled his eyes and sighed again.   
"Let's leave that for the moment. I doubt Lina has any clothes for you to wear so perhaps we should focus on getting you dressed first." 

By: Atsureki


	5. Realizing

If you read the others you know *nods* Oh and don't forget to tell me what you think pwees?

NOTHING APART

5 - Realizing

Lina bursted through the door and ran down the stairs. Tears were flowing down her face. She didn't understand why Gourry was doing this. Why didn't he want her to stay with him? Crying from anger and despair she ran out on the street and kept on running until she had to slow down to catch her breath. She'd entered a park and now she fell to her knees trembling with fear.   
"Why is this happening?" she cried and banged her fists on the grass. It hadn't escaped her that Gourry still was very much in danger. If they didn't find a Shrine-maiden to heal him soon he would die.   
"Oh dear Gods why is this happening?" she cried out again. If Gourry died she would never forgive herself. Sure it had been his decision to leave her but maybe she could have stopped him if she'd just told him how she felt. Why, oh why, was it so hard for her to confess that she loved him. Lina's inside felt hollow and empty and she knew that this was nothing to how she would feel if Gourry died. It was just impossible for her to picture her life without that man. For four years he had been by her side and even if she'd known that one day he would leave, it had always seemed like she had so much time to make him understand how much he meant to her. But now she was running out of time. It might even be too late already.   
"No," she moaned, "it can't be too late." All of this felt like a nightmare, a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Slowly she got up and started walking back towards the Inn. There had to be a way to fix all this. She had to talk to Gourry again and make him understand that she never could leave him. 

"Perfect," Xellos' said and looked at Gourry. The clothes he had picked out for the tall man was almost identical to the ones he always wore.   
"Thanks," Gourry sighed and pulled his hand through his hair. He felt so weak. The cough wasn't gone and he could feel the fever coming back again. All Lina's effords has been a waste, he thought to himself. Sure the wounds were gone but this was rooted deeper inside of him. Nothing Lina could do would heal this.   
"What's the matter Gourry-san?" the Priest asked.   
"The fever is back," he answered slowly. "There was nothing Lina could do about it. You see even thought she tried so hard she couldn't heal me completely. I figured the wounds I had would have finished me off in a few days but now… Now it can take weeks before I die," the tall swordsman ended and sat down on the bed.   
"Oh stop it! You are not going to die," Xellos' growled but he could see that this man was sick. The color in his face was dangerously pale and his eyes glisten with fever. Every move the blonde man made was jerky and his hands were trembling. Could it be, the Priest wondered, that Gourry is right, that he is in fact dying?   
"Xellos' with every breath I take I can feel life slipping away. And before I die I have to leave Lina and try to get her to care as little about me as possible. It's the best thing for her," Gourry said and started coughing. The cough wouldn't even let him catch his breath as it tormented his lugns. It felt like his insides were being ripped out with every cough and his head was about to explode.   
" I just can't let you do this to Lina-san. How is that the best thing for her? Don't you see how much pain it'll cause her?" the Priest asked not sure Gourry could hear him through his coughing.   
"Like I told you before, if she doesn't care about me and I'm not around her when I die it'll all be less painful for her," he answered when the cough gave him a pause. "The best thing you can do for Lina right now is to help me get well enough to travel and then help me get away from her." Xellos' fought with all the emotions this caused inside of him. Why did it all have to be so difficult? And why couldn't he feel any joy in the fact that once the blonde swordsman was gone he'd have Lina all to himself? Again Xellos' damned this human mind of his.   
"How can you think that of me?" Linas voice made both men jump. "Do you really think I could ever care so little about you that I wouldn't care if you died?" Gourry hung his head and fought back the tears.   
"Lina I'm doing everything I can and this is the way it has to be," he said slowly and lifted his head as if to look at her. "I am going to leave you and there is nothing you can do to change that." The determination in his voice ached in Lina's heart.   
"No Gourry, I won't let you do that. And I will not stand here and argue about it!" she screamed at him. "Right now we're going to find you a Shrine-maiden to heal you and then I'm taking you with me!"   
"There's a Shrine-maiden at the temple," Xellos' interrupted. "I suggest we go and see her right away." The Priest faced Lina with his eyes closed.   
"Yeah, I'm with you on that one," Lina nodded and walked up to Gourry. "Can you walk that far?" she asked him and reached out for his arm.   
"Yes I'll be fine," he answered and stood up. Even if he couldn't see he knew she was reaching out for him but he ignored her and walked towards the Priest instead.   
"Good than lets go," she said and turned away to swallow the hurt Gourry's action to keep distance between them caused. Xellos' sighed and took the blonde man by the arm to lead him. 

The Shrine-maiden who met them at the temple was almost as tall as Gourry and her long black hair framed a face as white as snow. Her voice was sweet as honey just as her black eyes.   
"This is the young man I told you about," Xellos' said and lowered his head. The Shrine-maiden nodded.   
"Please follow me." She turned around and started walking down a corridor. Lina bit her lip as she watched Gourry being lead after the Shrine-maiden by Xellos'. With a sigh she followed them. Only a few minutes later they entered a room. Except for a table and two chairs it was empty.   
"Please ask…" she started and looked at Xellos'.   
"Gourry-san," the Priest nodded.   
"Ask Gourry-san to take of his shirt and lie down on the table," she said and left them alone. Gourry let go of Xellos' arm and took his shirt off. Before he could reach for the Priest again Lina took his hand in hers and lead him up to the table.   
"Lina it's better if you let Xellos' help me," the blonde man said with a low voice and sat down on the table. Lina closed her eyes for a few seconds and frowned.   
"For who is it better?" she asked and backed away from him.   
"For you and for me," Gourry answered. Lina shook her head well aware that he couldn't see her.   
"It might be better for you Gourry but it won't be better for me and you know it," she sighed.  
"My, my you really are nothing but two children," Xellos' interrupted them and sat down in one of the chairs. Lina was about to snap at the Priest when the Shrine-maiden returned.  
"Ah good," she said when she saw Gourry on the table. "I'm going to see what's wrong with you first and then I'll heal you." Gourry nodded to this and laid back on the table. With her hands the Shrine-maiden followed the tall man's body letting her magic sense any damages. When she reached his head she frowned and closed her eyes.   
"What's wrong?" Lina asked with a worried look.   
"He has a very serious type of pneumonia, which I can cure and I have to do a little work on his muscles in his left shoulder. But this blindness will be more difficult," the Shrine-maiden answered.   
"Just do what you can," Lina nodded to the Shrine-maiden. The tall girl lowered her head at Lina and started mumbling the words to the spell needed. The mild white light that covered the space between her hands and Gourry's chest brought a humming noise into the room. After a while she moved her hands to his shoulder and continued her spell.   
"That should do it. How do you feel?" she asked Gourry. The blonde man took a deep breath and tried to cough.   
"The cough is gone and it feels like the fever is too," he answered.   
"Good. Now lets see if I can give you your eyesight back," she said and put her hands over Gourry's forehead. "Close your eyes and try to relax, please." Gourry did as the Shrine-maiden told him and felt her magic cover his face and head. It seemed to take forever before she finally lifted her hands from him.   
"I don't know if it worked," she sighed and leaned against the table closing her eyes from exhaustion.   
"Only one way to find out," Gourry said and slowly opened his eyes. At first everything was a blur. Slowly his eyes focused his surroundings and he saw the Shrine-maiden, Xellos' and Lina.   
"Are you okay?" Lina asked and hurried up to him. Gourry looked into her ruby-colored eyes.  
"Yes Lina I'm okay. I can see again," he answered and sat up. But am I really okay? he thought to himself. He had a feeling it was only temporary, not that he could see again but that he was okay in general. Suddenly he had Lina's arms around him and her face against his shoulder. Her smell intoxicated him, confused his thoughts and a sharp flash of warning burnt inside of him. It told him that he couldn't let her get close to him, it would still be dangerous for her. Harder than he had intented he pushed her away. The hurt in her eyes was so painfull.  
"I thought…" she mumbled searching his eyes with hers.   
"I really want to go back to my room and rest," Gourry cut her off. "I feel so weak and tired."  
"That's a good idea," the Shrine-maiden nodded. "You'll feel like that for a few days so take it easy."   
"As thanks we'd like to donate money to your temple," Xellos' said and handed the Shrine-maiden some coins.   
"That's very generous of you," she said and lowered her head as a thank you. Gourry put his feet on the floor and turned to the maiden.   
"I'm very grateful," he thanked her and walked towards the door. Lina followed him with her eyes glued to the floor. She didn't understand. Why wouldn't he let her near him? What had she done that made him act this way. Lina sighed and dragged her feet. Gourry was still not himself. His eyes had changed again but not for the better. Everything about him was so cold, nothing like he'd used to be. 

By: Atsureki


	6. Doing What's Right

For the stuff that goes up here check first chapter please *S*

NOTHING APART

6 - Doing what's right

Gourry paced his room with a frown. Something kept telling him that he had to leave Lina. He didn't understand why and perhaps it didn't matter. This warning that kept echoing in his head was too strong to ignore. If he just could explain to her that he was doing it all for her sake. But she would never accept something like that, it wasn't her style. All that thinking made him tired again. Why did it have to be so difficult, he thought to himself, when all he really wanted to do was to grab Lina with both hands and never let her go again. But it couldn't be that way, he knew that. Whether or not he wanted to he had to leave her behind and he had to do it now. It got more and more difficult with each minute that passed by.   
"Dammit," he cursed out loud and picked up the armor and the sword Xellos' had given him earlier. It was killing him but he had no choice. Maybe the warning didn't mean that Lina was in any danger just cause he was there. Actually it felt more like he was the one who was in danger. Gourry shook his head and headed for the door. "She'll forget everything about me," he tried to convince himself as he closed the door behind him. "And I'll forget her sooner or later." Inside he knew that that would never happen. Quietly he walked pass Xellos' room and stopped infront of the door leading to Lina's room. Just as he thought the door wasn't locked so he slowly opened it. The room was dark except from a pale ray of light coming from the moon. In the middle of that light he saw Lina. She was sleeping and tossing and turning like she always did. Carefully he approched the bed and looked at her. Red hair covered her pillow like fire and her small hands were gripping the cover tightly. "I'm sorry Lina," Gourry whispered and touched her face. "Good-bye." With tears in his blue eyes he turned around and left her room. No one saw him leave the Inn except a pair of violet eyes that in silence watch the tall blonde man from a window. Covered by the dark Gourry slowly made his way out of the town and into the woods. He walked all night with his hand on his new sword even though his body cried out for a rest. 

Xellos' was torn. Should he go and wake Lina up and tell her that Gourry had left or shouldn't he? He knew that she would run after the swordsman the minute she heard that he had left them behind. But something told the Priest that it would be wrong for them to chase after Gourry. Xellos' sighed and sat down on his bed. Being a human seemed to become harder and harder for every damn minute that passed. First there was all these feelings he had for Lina and then there was the concern he felt for the blonde man who now was traveling all by himself. And like that wasn't enough he had to fight with that damned conscience-thing. He sighed again and put his chin in his hands. Hiding the truth made him feel bad. It wasn't his style to tell up front lies, it was more fun to just twist the truth enough to suit his purposes. But now he found that even doing that just made him feel bad.   
"This sucks!" the Trickster Priest declared to himself. On one hand he wanted Lina to be happy which meant keeping Gourry close to her. And on the other hand he wanted her to be safe which, his human instinct told him, meant keeping her away from Gourry. As a Mazoku the answer would have been easy, he would have done whatever suited him but as a human he had this silly need to do what was right and he had no idea what that was. Lost in thoughts Xellos' sat on his bed til the sun peeked up behind the mountains. 

Lina woke up when the first rays of sunlight hit her face. She sat up and immediatley knew that something was wrong. It annoyed her a little that her first thought went to Gourry. He always seemed to be on her mind these days. For a moment she thought about this blonde man that she'd know for four years. There were so many memories of him in her mind. The way his skin felt under her hands, the way he smelled, how his hair felt. Lina shook her head and got up. Quickly she got dressed and headed for Gourry's room. She knocked several times before she finally opened the door and walked in. He wasn't there. The room was not just empty cause Gourry wasn't there it was empty of all his things too. Lina closed her eyes and felt so very tired.   
"He's gone," she moaned to herself. "Damn him!" Now she would have to chase after him again. She just couldn't help herself for some reason. "Why can't the jellyfish for brains see that he belongs here with me," she growled and bit her lip. The answer came too fast for it too feel good. Cause I haven't told him clearly enough, she thought to herself. With close eyes she rubbed her forhead and went to see if she at least could find Xellos'. One look inside his room revealed that the Priest was where he was suppose to be.   
"I already know," he said when she entered his room. Lina frowned.   
"How did you know that Gourry is gone?" she demanded to know. Xellos' looked at her for a moment before answering.   
"I saw Gourry-san leave the Inn last night," he nodded and turned his back to her. Lina felt a rage running through her body.   
"And just when were you going to let me know?" she yelled and walked up to him giving him a rough push in the back. Xellos' turned around and looked her in the eyes. It surprised Lina that she in his eyes saw hurt. The Priest looked very troubled and this actually scared her a little. Xellos' had always been the one person, if you could refer to him as a person, who'd always been calm and carefree.   
"Lina-san," he sighed, "I have this feeling that you should just let Gourry be." She stared at him with disbelief in her eyes.   
"Yeah that would suit you just fine wouldn't it?" Xellos' twiched at the tone in her voice and hung his head. "But unlike a Mazoku we humans actually care about our friends and we don't just abondon them. I know you're heartless and only do things that you can gain something from but I'm not like that!"   
"Do you have any idea of how much your words actually hurt?" he asked still staring at the floor. "You forget that I'm as much human as you are, Lina-san. No matter what you think of me I am not doing this for my own joy or to gain anything from it," he said with a low voice and looked at her again. Lina took a step back to avoid the pain in Xellos' eyes.   
"I…" There was nothing she could say. "I'm sorry Xellos' I forget that you're like us now," she sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm just worried about Gourry."   
"I know you are Lina-san but I still feel it would be best if you didn't follow Gourry-san."  
"I have to," she sighed, "I can't help it." Xellos' slowly nodded.   
"And I can't stop you. Get your things and let's go than." Lina smiled a little at him and left.

By: Atsureki


	7. The Followers

For the stuff that goes up here check first chapter please *S*

NOTHING APART

7 - The followers

Xelas Metallium, the Beastmaster, paced the floor. There weren't a lot of things that she'd done that she regretted. It wasn't like a Mazoku to regret things. But at the moment she knew that she had done something wrong and she wanted it undone. With a frown she lit another cigarette. It was her temper's fault she decided. She always got so mad when something didn't go her way. It had made her furious when Xellos' refused to carry out her orders. For over a thousand years her General Priest had been by her side. He had fought for her in the war against the dragons without losing his life, unlike most others. Never once had he questioned her orders until now. Xelas knew that sometimes he didn't agree with her way of dealing with things but he had never said anything about his own thoughts. Her Trickster Priest hadn't even objected when she told him to kill Lina if it would bring Valgaav to their side. But she knew that he hadn't liked it at all, not that neither one of them had thought that Lina were in any real danger. Valgaav hadn't been one to jump sides like that. Xellos' had never been like any other Mazoku she'd ever meet. He wasn't mean or cruel in the same way like the others. No, an appropriate word for her servant was a Teaser not a Killer. He loved to tease and annoy everybody, not really intrested in hurting anyone seriously. The Beastmaster knew that her last orders to him had been outrageous and stupid but still, Xellos' was suppose to do as he was told. But that time he had simply told her that he wouldn't do that. A part of her had wanted to rip his head off for those words but her anger had caused her to scream like a child instead. And what had she screamed? Xelas slapped herself over the forehead.   
"If you're so fond of humans and their pathetic lives perhaps you should go live with them for a while." Yeah I will never forget those words, she thought to herself after saying them out loud. "You silly, hot-tempered Mazoku," she growled at herself. Her temper was one of the reasons other Darklords didn't trust her. Of the five Darklords Shabranigdo had made she was the youngest and the one least trusted. Not that that had ever bothered her. She was what she was and if someone didn't like it, tough for them. It annoyed her that she in the last couple of years knew that she had made two mistakes. The first one was lending Xellos' to Hellmaster Phibrizzo and the second one was punishing her General Priest by turning him into a human. A long long time ago Phibrizzo had made that same mistake with Maryo Gaav. And as it turned out it was impossible to tear the human part out of Gaav. In other words, Hellmaster hadn't been able to return Gaav into a pure breed Mazoku again. All that troubled her for she really didn't want to lose her General Priest. But what she had done was done and now she wasn't sure she could fix it again. Beastemaster-sama had seen what Xellos' had been up to since he became human but she didn't understand any of it. Why was he working so hard to keep that redhead happy? Not that she'd ever understood humans. The feelings they had was not for any Mazoku to understand. Still pacing the floor she damned humans, their feelings and her own temper. 

Xellos' walked behind Lina in silence. He was scared. The Roguish Priest didn't like this feeling at all. He had been scared or rather, worried before. But never had he feelt the cold hand of fear gripping at his heart for the sake of someone elses life. He wasn't sure it was Lina's life that was in danger just that it had something to do with her. Fear wasn't the only thing ripping away at his body, there was also the unpleasent feeling of hunger. Xellos' sighed. How did humans stand this? Not only did they get tired pretty fast they also got hungry. Time and time again he found himself drooling at the thought of food.   
"Lina-san, I'm hungry," he whined. Lina stopped and turned around to face him.   
"You're right it's been hours since we ate last," she nodded and started digging in her pockets. "Eat this for now, I don't wanna stop yet." With those words she threw a piece of bread to him, took one for herself and started walking again. Xellos' shoved the bread in his mouth and hurried after her. The pace she kept was starting to become difficult for him to keep up with. It was strange to him that even though humans were so weak and vulnerable they still fought so hard. He had himself put his own life on the line but it wasn't the same thing. If he got wounded he could always repair himself but most humans couldn't. Xellos' remembered when he had fought Maryo Gaav. His body had been pretty messed up that time but he had disappeared and when he came back he was as good as new. When they had found Gourry he had barely been alive and his wounds hadn't been half as bad as those Xellos' had had. But then a Mazoku didn't get infections. No, he thought to himself, the fragile human body is a mystery to me. How did they dare to put themselves up to be butchered when they knew it only took so little to finish them off? Since the Preist was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice that Lina had stopped and therefor crashed into her back.   
"Hey watch were you're going," she growled at him.   
"Why did you stop, Lina-san?" he asked and looked around. The main road was still infront of them but to their left a small path lead into the woods.   
"I don't know which way we should take," she answered and scratched her head. Xellos' closed one of his eyes and sighed.   
"If I was Gourry-san I'd stick to the main road thinking you'd think I'd taken the path," he nodded. "But we both know Gourry-san isn't very bright so he probably figured you think he thought that you thought he'd taken the road so I think he took the path." Lina stared at him.  
"What?" she asked and looked very confused.   
"Hm, I dunno. I can't even remember what I just said," the Trickster Priest mumbled and closed his other eye too. "Bottom line is that I think he took the path."   
"You're really weird sometimes, do you know that Xellos'?" she frowned and turned off the road onto the path. Xellos' shrugged and followed her. 

They had been walking for almost an hour on the path when they met a man. Lina stopped him with a smile.   
"Excuse me but have you seen our friend?" she asked the man who was looking at them like they were about to rob him of everything he had.   
"I've only seen one person all day today," the man said and looked around. "It was about an hour ago. A young, tall blonde man," he continued and nodded at the path behind him.   
"Yeah that sounds like our friend alright," Lina smiled.   
"Don't you know this path is dangerous?" There's a gang of bandits who rob everybody that take this path."   
"Oh don't worry about us I can take care of them," Lina grinned.   
"If you say so," the man frowned, "how about your friend? You should be able to catch up with him if you hurry, he was walking pretty slow, too slow to be safe on this god forsaken path," he mumbled and started walking again.   
"Hey, Lina-san?" Xellos' asked when the man had disappeared behind the trees.   
"Yes?"   
"You don't think those bandits might be the same as those who attacked Gourry-san?" Lina frowned and narrowed her eyes.   
"If they are I'm gonna send them all to hell," she growled and turned around. 

Gourry sat down against a tree and closed his eyes. He was so tired from walking that he barely could stand up any more. The sun warmed his body and the birds singing was relaxing. All night he had been walking in that slow pace. Hopefully Lina and Xellos' had been sleeping in so that it took them a while to find out that he was gone. And if they started following him he hoped that they took their time. It wouldn't be hard to catch up to him since he couldn't move all that fast. Gourry put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. The sounds of nature gently rocked him to sleep. But his dreams were scary and confusing. Over and over again he saw himself being killed. It was confusing since he was killed by magic and because Xellos' was next to him. Gourry frowned in his sleep. He tried to turn around to see who was killing him but the dream wouldn't let him see behind him. A loud noise penetrated his sleep and shook him awake. Carefully he looked up to the road and sighed. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep but it had been long enough for two people to catch up with him.   
"I can't believe you're hungry again!" he heard Lina yell at the Trickster Priest. "You're even worse than I am!"   
"Lina-san," Xellos' complained, "nobody is worse than you are when it comes to food."  
"Won't you two just go away and leave me alone!" Gourry sighed as he walked over to them. Lina turned around and smiled at him. But her smile faded when she saw his face.   
"I'm sorry, but no I can't Gourry," she answered and crossed her arms. "I don't care what you want I will be on you like a tick from now on."   
"Fine! I'm not going anywhere I'm gonna stay right here," he snapped at her and sat down again. With her face white from anger she started yelling at him.   
"Shut up!" Xellos' interrupted them harshly. Lina turned around to yell at him too but something stopped her.   
"There's people approaching," Gourry whispered and got up. Lina nodded and moved closer to him.   
"What should we do?" the Priest asked with a worried look.   
"Fight them of course, if that's what they want," Lina replyed with a grin. Gourry drew his sword and they waited for someone to appear between the trees. When Gourry saw the group of bandits that came onto the road he started sweating.   
"Lina, those are the same guys that attacked me before," he mumbled. Lina got a dangerous look in her red eyes.   
"Well they'll pay for that this time," she grinned at him and turned to Xellos'. "And you stay out of this okay? I don't want you in the middle of this!"   
"Not much I can do against them as it is anyways," he sighed and backed away.

By: Atsureki

Note: The whole thing with Gaav and Phibrizzo is not what really happened. It was the Water Dragon dude who reborn Gaav as a human but this version fits the story so um deal with it *hehe* It's a pity they don't really explain all that stuff in the anime though. *nods* BTW I was asked in a mail if I have watched the anime so I might as well answer it here. I've watched Slayers, Slayers Next and Slayers Try more times than I can remember. Those poor tapes are almost worn out *sniffles* Um sorr for my babbling *blushes* Let's get on with the story, ne?


	8. A Fatal Mistake

Watch out for heavy angst and sadness etc in this one *dries tears* I'm such a meanie! I can't believe I'm crying at my own stuff. *blows nose*

NOTHING APART

8 - A fatal mistake

Lina watched the seven bandits as they moved closer to her and Gourry. They did look like mercenaries even if their clothes were torn and dirty. With an evil smile she draw her sword instead of using her magic. These people needed to be punished but it would be too easy using her magic.   
"Well, well, well. Looks like we didn't finish the job last time boys," their leader laughed when he saw Gourry.   
"Don't worry we'll finish you this time," Lina growled and pointed at him with her sword.  
"Give us your best shot." The bandits drew their swords and attacked at once. Three of them came at her while the leader and the rest of them went after Gourry. Lina soon understood why Gourry hadn't been able to beat them. They were very well co-ordinated and saved as much strenght as they could. In the corner of her eye she could see that Gourry was in trouble. The last fight that had left him badly injured and blind had destroyed his confidence and now he was losing ground with every strike. To her surprise Xellos' appeared next too Gourry with a heavy cudgel in his hands. The Priest wasn't very strong as a human but he was presistant. His help at least gave the tall swordsman some room to breathe. This whole fight was begining to irritate Lina so with two Fireballs she destroyed two of the bandits and then chased the third one away with a deadly glare from her eyes. But when she turned towards Gourry and Xellos' she saw that the battle was in no way won. Gourry had rendered two of the bandits but the leader was still on him and the last bandit was coming down hard on Xellos'. Suddenly Gourry tripped and fell to his knees. Lina gasped as she saw him fall, readying a spell to destroy the leader if he struck down at him. But instead of finishing Gourry off he turned to Xellos'. The Priest was standing with his back against this man and wouldn't see him in time to get away. With a smile in his shaggy face the banditleader raised his sword to bring it down on Xellos'.   
"Digger Bolt!" Lina yelled and releast her spell. As in slowmotion she saw the Digger Bolt travel towards the bandit but just as it reached him Gourry struck him down. With a scream of fear Lina saw her spell hit Gourry in the back sending a cascade of blood into the air. For a second Gourry stood, staring at his stomach and the blood coloring his clothes red. Then he dropped his sword, gave Lina a confused look and sunk down on the ground. First she couldn't move. She just stood staring at Gourry and the pool of blood that was flowing over the ground. 

"Gourry! No!" she yelled in panic when she finally could move again, and ran up to him. Shaking with fear she dropped to her knees and lifted up the blonde man's head onto her lap. With tears running down her cheeks she pressed her small hands against his body and cast her healing spell over and over again.   
"Don't." A hand over hers stopped her. Devastated she looked at Gourry's face. For the first time since they had split up so many weeks ago his eyes looked like they used to.   
"It's okay Gourry I'll heal you, I will," she sobbed and took his hand.   
"It's too late for me Lina," he smiled at her and caressed her cheek. "Today is a good day to die," he continued and touched her hair.   
"No I won't let you die Gourry, I won't let you," she screamed and hugged him. "It's just so much blood, so much blood. But I'll…" He interrupted her with a smile.   
"Promise me two things before I die Lina?" he asked her and coughed. Blood started running from the corner of his mouth.   
"Anything Gourry, I'll promise you anything, but you're not going to die," she whispered.  
"Promise me that you won't grieve me or punish yourself. It wasn't your fault," he moaned as his body trembled with pain. "And never forget that I love you, even if I never got around to telling you." Lina stared into the face of the man she loved and saw her tears mix with his blood. With a trembling hand Gourry pulled down her face to his and gently kissed her lips. Lina could taste his blood on her lips and still her heart pounded harder with love. With a sigh his hand fell from her face.   
"Gourry I…" She silenced as she saw the color leaving his face. His chest did no longer move and his eyes were blank. "No," she cried out and shook his boody. "No I won't let you die. I won't let you die! Please don't leave me Gourry!" But her cries got no response. It was too late. In a matter of minutes she had lost the only man she had ever loved. "I killed him," she whispered and started rocking back and forth still hugging Gourry's body. "I killed Gourry. No, no, no this can't be," she kept on crying as she pressed her face against his. "Please help me! Somebody please help me! I love you Gourry and now I have…" Her words turned into sulks as she hugged Gourry's dead body closer to her chest and burried her face in his hair. This can't be happening, she thought to herself and draw in the smell of Gourry's hair. It was impossible! He was dead and he had never even got to know that she loved him. With her face wet from tears and smeared with his blood she screamed out her regret over what she had done. 

Xellos' managed to get a direct hit at his apponent just as Lina's spell hit Gourry. With disbelief in his violet eyes he stared at his two companions as Gourry died right before his eyes. Now he understood what his instinct had been warning him about. Lina had killed the man she loved. Xellos' fought back the tears that watered his eyes. He mourned Gourry and he mourned Lina's loss. Will she ever be able to live with what she had done, he asked himself. How could anyone go on knowing that a mistake they made had killed someone they loved? And then the General Priest of Xelas Metallium cried over the fact that this was his fault, not Lina's. She had told him to stay out of this fight but he had interfered. Gourry had died while protecting him and Lina had fired off her spell to protect him as well. Xellos' closed his eyes and moaned. He was the one responsible for the death of Gourry. He was the one responsible for the hurt, sadness and despair in Lina's eyes. 

It seemed like it took her forever to let go of Gourry's now cold body. Her clothes were covered with his blood and so was her face and her hair. Tears were still filling up her eyes and her whole being was trembling. This was like a nightmare to her. One that she would never wake up from. Over and over again she saw the same course of events in her head. Her Digger Bolt hitting Gourry and the blood that spurted out of his stomach. Slowly she shook her head to get the ringing out of her ears. She looked at her hands. Her white gloves were soaked with Gourry's blood and she could still taste his blood in her mouth. Lina closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. When she opened them again she saw Xellos' staring at Gourry's body. The Priest hadn't said a word and he hadn't moved. His cloak was spotted with blood and his face distorted with sadness and pain. Slowly he lifted his eyes from the dead man lying on the dusty road and meet hers. She saw the tears flowing down his cheeks and the sadness in his eyes. It surprised her that that man, who for over a thousand years had been uncapeble of feeling any human feelings, was so shaken by Gourry's death. Those thoughts made her move her eyes from Xellos' to Gourry's body again. With a scream Lina fell to her knees and hugged herself.   
"I killed him!" she cried out and started rocking back and forth. "Oh dear Gods I killed him!"  
"It was my fault," Xellos' said with a sad voice. "It's because of me Gourry-san is dead." Lina shook her head.   
"How could it possibly be your fault?"   
"If I had done what you told me to do, that man," Xellos' almost whispered and pointed to the body of the banditgang's leader, "wouldn't have come after me and this would never had happened." For a moment Lina clinged on to those words. Tried to use them as an excuse, as a way out from the horror that she had done. But it didn't work she was still the one who had fired off that spell.   
"No, Xellos' it wasn't your fault. If you hadn't helped Gourry when you did they would have killed him. And besides it wasn't you who…" Her words vanished as she started crying harder again. "Why oh why didn't I check to see where he was? Why didn't I trust him enough to let him do this his own way? Why didn't I leave him alone when he told me he didn't want me to follow him? Why didn't I tell him that I loved him? Why didn't I just use a spell to finish those bandits of right away… Why… Why did I have to kill him?" Lina cried out and pressed her bloodsoaked gloves against her face. Xellos' approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. With a scream Lina got up and threw herself around the Priest's neck. Crying from a wound in her heart that no time could ever heal she hid her face in his clothes. Xellos' held her tight, gently rocked her and wetted her hair with his own tears. 

Another night had dragged itself passed her. It didn't seem to matter if she was awake or asleep, the dreams were still the same. Everywhere she looked she saw Gourry's face, heard his voice. In her pack she still had the clothes and the gloves she had been wearing that day. She hadn't washed them, she just couldn't bring herself to wash away the last memory she had of Gourry before he died. Every night she picked up her gloves, stiff from his blood, and just stared at them. It had been almost a week since that day. The day when she had killed Gourry. Every day she cried from longing and every night she wept as she cursed herself for what she had done. She had always thought that a person only had so many tears to shed, but now she knew better. There was no end to the tears or to the sadness she carried inside of herself. There would never come a time when she would be able to forgive herself for what she had done. Lina wiped away a tear and searched her cloak. In one of the pockets she found the lock of hair she had cut from Gourry's head before they burried him. It still smelled like him. With trembling hands she stroke the hair and again felt tears filling up her eyes. She knew that she had changed a lot in the passed week. Her eyes had lost their fire and her skin had become pale. But it was her hair that made people turn around to stare at her. On the left side of her head her hair had shifted colors. Strokes of once red hair had turned white. Lina had heard of people whose hair had turned white from fear but something told her that the white strokes in hers came from Gourry's touch. For it was there he had stroked her hair leaving it covered with his own blood, and now it was white. Just like the red blood had paled the hair's natural color. 

In the room beside Lina's Xellos' paced the floor. Every day he tried his best to comfort Lina and every night he pressed his hands over his ears to try to block out the sound of her cries. It was killing him inside and it was killing Lina completely. The Priest sighed and closed his eyes. He had never before understood just how important one human's life could be to another. Never before had he realized that a human actually could die from sadness. Just as the sun tickled the treetops with its rays he again heard Lina beg the Gods for a chance to have it all undone. Suddenly the air around him started to shift. Xellos' opened his eyes just in time to see his room turn into the huge hall belonging to Xelas Metallium. With confusion he turned to face her with a deep bow.   
"Beastmaster-sama."   
"Ah Xellos' there you are," she greeted him and nodded as a reply to his bow. "I've decided you've been punished enough. It's time for you to return to your duties." With a wave of her hand his rod appeared. Almost automaticly he changed back into his normal clothing. Xellos' could feel his powers return but it gave him no pleasure.   
"I will never be punished enough," he slowly said and met her eyes. It's true, he thought to himself. Even though he could no longer feel like a human he could still remember how it felt. He would never again be the same and he would never forget how Gourry had died to save him.   
"What are you talking about?" Beastmaster-sama demanded to know and stared at him.   
"A man is dead because of me, I will forever have his blood on my hands," Xellos answered and could see how this answer confused the Darklord.   
"So? You've killed more living things than either one of us can remember, what's your point?" she asked and lit a cigarette.   
"You couldn't possibly understand Beastmaster-sama," he started. "I did not kill this man, I was the reason he died. He gave his life to save mine. I was also the reason that Lina-san was the one who killed him even though she loved him"

Xelas stared at her General Priest. What was he talking about?   
"You mean he sacrificed his life to save yours?" she asked and tilted her head.   
"Yes."   
"What a stupid thing to do," The Beastmaster muttered more to herself than to her Priest.  
"It's not stupid for a human. It has to do with the feelings they feel. Someone elses life is often more important to them than their own," he tried to explain.   
"I don't understand," she said and shook her head. "But what has this to do with you?"  
"I may not be able to feel like them anymore but I will never forget what their feelings feel like inside," he said and put his hand over his chest. "I will never again be able to carry out an order that includes hurting a human being." Xelas could feel her anger flowing over but pressed her lips together and swallowed it.   
"But you're a Mazoku," she objected and frowned.   
"Yes I am Beastmaster-sama, but I will never again be what I used to," he sighed and lowered his head. Xelas' screamed inside at those words. She had been right she couldn't get her General Priest back to normal again. Her punishment had been too much.   
"Damn!" she growled through clenched teeth.   
"However," Xellos' said with a low voice, "there might just be a way to change all this that have happened." The Beastmaster stared at her Priest.   
"How?" she asked and clinged to this last hope.   
"I will tell you as soon as I've sorted a few things out, with your permission of course," the Trickster Priest said and lowered his head.   
"Alright. Go ahead Xellos'," Xelas nodded and watched her Priest disappear.

By: Atsureki


	9. Granting One Wish

Final chapter *phew* Please don't forget to lemme know what you think about this *S*

NOTHING APART

9 - Granting one wish

With a twitch of his mind Xellos' teleported himself from Xelas hall to the Inn's corridor. He was standing outside Lina's door not sure what to do next. From behind the door he could hear Lina moving around. To the Priest's relief she didn't seem to be crying at the moment. Being a Mazoku again meant he would do a very poor job comforting her. Sure he could remember how humen's felt but he couldn't really bring up any compassion anymore. He did want to comfort Lina but how? Maybe he should just find one of her friends and let them take care of her? But who? Xellos' scratched his head and thought. With both eyes closed the searched for Lina's friends. With a sigh he opened them again. No one of them were close enough. He knocked on the door and opened it when he got no reply. Lina was sitting on her bed looking just as pale and defeated as she had been when he last saw her. But this time he felt no pain and no compassion rose in his body.   
"Lina-san?" he asked quietly trying to supress the good feeling he got from her sadness. She turned around to look at him.   
"I see Beastmaster-sama decided to end your punishment." Xellos' frowned and walked up to her.   
"Yeah she did. I wanted to ask you something," he said and wiped away a tear from her cheek.   
"What?" Lina asked and rubbed her forehead with a trembling hand.   
"If I could grant you one wish what would that be?" She closed her eyes as her tears started to flow again.   
"I'd wish to re-live that day when Gourry told me he was leaving," she answered and pressed her lips together.   
"Why not just wish for Gourry-san not to be dead?" he asked although he already knew the answer.   
"Cause if I could change what I didn't do that day, Gourry would still be the same as he used to be before all this happened." Lina hung her head. "I just want a chance to right the wrong I did that day." Xellos' nodded to himself. If he got Beastmaster-sama to agree to that everything would be like it should.   
"And then you wouldn't have to live with your memories."   
"I would wish to still have them so I don't make this mistake ever again," Lina sighed. "I hurt Gourry so badly. I should have told him how I felt about him instead of just sitting there like an idiot." The Trickster Priest leaned on his rod and squinted at her.   
"I see," he said and was gone. 

Lina hid her face in her hands and cried. What was Xellos' up to this time? He was no longer human and was probably running Xelas errends again. She wasn't angry with the Priest, he was only doing as he was told. With a quiet moan she dragged herself to her feet. There is no point in hanging around here anymore, she thought to herself. Maybe she should go home. She hadn't seen her family for years, not that she was all that thrilled about having to face her big sister again. But she had to do something, she couldn't just sit around and fade away even if she felt like she deserved that. Everything she did and felt was jaded and slow. It would take her forever to walk all the way home. She pressed her hands against her heart that was so broken and sank down on the bed again.   
"No, I'll just sit here and fade away," she sighed to herself. "I don't want to live anymore." The words she just had spoken scared her for they were true. She really didn't want to go on living. There was no point anymore. No matter where she went she would still remember how she killed the man she loved. Her head hurt from crying too much and from trying to live with what she had done that day. Trying to find a place to hide from the fact that she had actually killed Gourry. But it didn't work, it never did. As soon as she closed her eyes she again saw Gourry die, again she felt his hand on her face, his lips against hers and the taste of his blood. With a scream of agony she threw herself on the bed and burried her face in the pillow. Shaking from the pain in her smashed heart she cried herself to sleep. 

Slowly Lina opened her eyes. Everything was black and from a far she could hear a whispering voice echoing between the walls she couldn't see. Even though her hearing was excellent she couldn't make out what it was whispering to her. Carefully she moved closer to it.   
"Lina, Lina," the voice whispered. "Lina I have something for you. I will grant you one wish."  
"W-who are you?" she asked.   
"It doesn't matter who I am just tell me you want your wish granted." Lina swa0llowed and put her hands over her heart.   
"I'd give anything to have my wish granted, anything you want."   
"Don't worry about that," the voice echoed softly, "this one's on me Lina." She could feel how she started falling backwards. "I will give you a second chance with the man named Gourry."  
"Gourry," Lina sighed with longing.   
"But you have to remember to take care of him just as he has taken care of you. Don't hide your feelings from the one you love. Stay by his side forever, for you two are nothing apart." The echoes of the whispers slowly faded away only leaving a very soft sound of two words. "Nothing apart, nothing apart," it bounced around for several minutes before disappearing. Lina felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness around her.   
"Gourry," she cried out, reached out her hands as if he was standing infront of her and then she drowned in the dark. 

Lina sat up and shook her head. The whispers from her dream still seemed to echo in her head. Everything seemed a little different that morning. She sighed and got out of bed. Might as well face the truth, she thought to herself. Nothing was different. Gourry was still dead and she was still the one who had killed him. She sat down infront of the mirror and looked at herself. Something was different about her face. Strangely enough all the white strokes in her hair was gone except one, her face wasn't as pale as it had been and the fire in her eyes was back. Lina frowned, got up and walked back to her bed. She sat down and rested her chin in her hand. First Xellos' had come back just to ask her what she would wish for if he could grant her one wish and then she had had that strange dream. Carefully Lina thouched the pain in her heart from Gourry's death. To her surprise she found that it was almost completely gone. Only a sting reminding her of it was still there. With confusion she turned to the door just as someone knocked on it  
"Yes," she said slowly. The door opened and Lina felt her body go numb when Gourry walked in. The bare sight of him, alive and well, froze her intire body and brain. She could do nothing but stare at the man who had died in her lap just a week ago.   
"Lina we have to talk about something," Gourry sighed and walked passed her. She still couldn't talk. This has all happened before, she screamed inside. She had been sitting exactly like this when he had told her he was leaving her.   
"I'm pretty much useless without my sword Lina," the tall blonde man continued when she didn't answer.   
"Why do you say that?" she asked just as she had done last time. It felt like she was trapped inside a dream and yet she knew that this had to be reality.   
"You said so yourself." She stared at him but this time she didn't have to think to remember the time she had told him that.   
"I didn't mean all the time Gourry. I was scared that you'd get hurt since you didnt' have your sword," she objected and refused to handle the situation as badly as she had done the first time. And just as that time she could see the shadow between them in his eyes and it made her even more determined to change everything.   
"But it was true," Gourry nodded and looked at her with his blue eyes. "I can't do anything as your protector without my sword, and we both know I'll never get it back". Even though Lina had been through it before she still felt lost when he said that. "So I'm leaving, I'm going back to wandring the roads as a mercenary," he said and turned away from her. Lina stared at his back just as she had done the last time and felt how her body once again refused to move and how her body froze up. Again she saw how Gourry took the silence like she didn't really care. Angry with herself Lina shook her head and rushed to her feet.   
"No!" she almost screamed and grabbed Gourry's arm. He faced her with a confused look in his blue eyes. "No," she said again. "Please don't leave."   
"Why not?" he asked still confused. Lina frowned at herself. Well, she thought, no point in taking it easy girl, you just go ahead and fight with all you got. Fight for the man you love!  
"Gourry this is hard for me to say but I know I should have said all this a long time ago," she began. "You think that I don't care very much about you, don't you?" She looked into his eyes.   
"I know you don't," he sighed with sadness in his voice and in his eyes.   
"I do care about you Gourry, a lot more than I've ever let you see. I don't know if you remember but when Hellmaster Phibrizzo kidnapt you he gave me a choice. I could either let him kill you and probably me as well or I could cast the Giga Slave and save you but probably end up destroying the whole world instead."   
"But you…" Gourry looked at her with wide eyes.   
"Yes Gourry, I chose you over the world. At that moment it didn't matter if I destroyed the whole world as long as you lived," she told him still looking into his eyes. "But after that I got scared."   
"Scared of what?" he asked.   
"Scared of what I feel for you and scared 'cause I need you," she answered and closed her eyes. "I've always thought that I'd never need anybody else. So I tried to prove to myself that I didn't care for you and that I didn't need you, I pushed you away. And now you think that I don't want you around anymore don't you?" Gourry lowered his head.   
"I know you don't want me around anymore. Besides you'd be better of without me." Lina's inside screamed.   
"No, Gourry I do want you around and I won't be better of without you. I love you." Gourry opened his mouth to say something but Lina silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Let me finish please. I do love you even if I haven't showed that before. If you want to leave because you don't think I love or care about you I'm beggin you to stay. But if you want to leave because you don't want to be here with me for whatever reason I won't try to change your mind. Just promise me to never forget that I love you," she ended. She had used his very own words. The words he had spoken to her just before he died in that other reality. Gourry looked up at her and reached out a hand. Without hesitation she took it and found herself being pulled into his strong arms. It felt so right and it felt so good she couldn't help herself from crying. It finally looked like she had gotten it right.  
"You love me," the tall blonde man mumbled in her hair. "I never thought you'd love me, I'm always so stupid and always so…" Lina silenced him again but this time with a kiss. Nervously she pressed her shivering lips to his. And just as the time when he had kissed her when he was dying her heart pounded faster and it screamed that this was right. No, she reminded herself, that other time never happened. This was reality the other wasn't. Carefully Gourry took her face in his hands and looked her in the eyes.   
"Is something wrong?" she asked with a trembling voice, scared that he perhaps didn't want this.   
"No, Lina. This is exactly right," he smiled at her and caressed her face with his fingertips. "Everything is right now." She smiled at him and ran her hands over his chest towards his stomach where she in that passed reality had seen blood cascading into the air.   
"I am sorry about all the hard words and all the punches," she whispered and pressed her face against his chest.   
"You know I can never remember things all that long," he said to her and smiled. "It seems being dense has it's perks after all." Lina laughed and hugged him tight.   
"You're just the way I like you to be," she winked at him. "You know I like 'em big and stupid." Gourry laughed as he actually managed to remember the last time she had said those words to him. Of course she had been possesed by a ghost that time so it probably wasn't exactly her words.   
"I love you enemy of all that lives," he said and looked her in the eyes. Lina playfully punched him in the stomach and growled a little. "Oh sorry I mean I love you Lina," he smiled and kissed her again.   
"Just don't try to get frisky with me you little pervert," she mumbled still with his lips over hers.   
"I'll try but I won't make any promises," he grinned at her. "I don't know why I have the need to say this but Lina I have the strongest feeling that we're nothing apart and everything together." Lina tilted her head and sent a thankfull thought to Xellos' who she knew she had everything to thank for,   
"That's because it's true Gourry. But now," she said and turned to the door taking his hand in hers, "let's get some breakfast! I'm starving!" Gourry smiled at the thought of food as she dragged him out the door and down the corridor. 

Xellos' the Trickster Priest teleported himself away from the door he had been eavesdropping by. The conversation he had heard was confusing and he was a little disappointed that Lina hadn't gotten angry. But he figured that if she was going to stick with Gourry he would have plenty of opportunities to draw power from other fights. With a frown he wondered what it was like to be a human. Oh well, he thought to himself, might be best not to think about that. Who knew what trouble he would get into if he was human. Xelas Metallium's General Priest appeared in his Mistress hall and bowed infront of her with a smile filled with tease and mischief.   
"Beastmaster-sama, you called for me."   
"Ah Xellos' I have a job for you." Do you feel up to it?" The Roguish Priest raised an eyebrow at his Mistress. She gave him a strange look and cleared her throat "Um eh never mind that question," Xelas corrected herself and lit another cigarette.

Well that's that *wipes brow* I'm all done and stuff. Time to go back to school *bangs head on her keybord* Is it just me who got disappointed that there's no lemon at the end??? O.o Hm might have to write a G/L lemon in the near future… *mutters* Ja ne *Wavers*/Atsureki


End file.
